Dance (on a shipping container) or run a marathon like no one's watching.

The answer to: "What are you thinking at Heartbreak Hill (aka Mile 21)"?

Why her mom runs.

Never, never give up. Our Detroit ambassador, Sue (on the left), ran the marathon with her aunt Sue, who finished chemo 4 weeks ago.

Who supports you in a marathon? Family, friends, and strangers.

It was No Stopping Monday.

"The world" and cookies. When life gives you lemons, you know what to do.

Love notes come in all forms.

Canadian Josh Cassidy near the top of the hill, before finishing to break the world record in the men's wheelchair race by two seconds.

Overheard at Heartbreak Hill: Go banana, go!

Neighbours: good for borrowing cups of sugar from, hosing you down in the middle of a marathon, and...

...handing you water when you need it the most.

How to cheer: make signs. Bring music. Scream your heart out.

Don't forget to have fun along the way.

With temperatures hitting the mid-80s (Canadian translation = around 30), the heat was intense, even as a bystander.

Friends don't let friends run up Heartbreak Hill alone. (Bare feet: noted.)

Boston ambassador Wayne Levy has logged more than 93,000 miles of running in his life (to date).

Go Wayne, go!

Molly from our community team with her run mantra...

... and running with her heart the next day.

To everyone who participated in the Boston Marathon this year: you inspire us. Thank you for the goosebumps.

As an educator at our Houston Highland Village store, Laura loves to inspire others and to be inspired by those around her. Recently, she became so inspired by the flow of inspiration around her that she had to share her experience. Read on and join her circle of inspiration.

The life I love is challenging, uncertain, and sometimes outright tiring. After experiencing lululemon’s entrepreneurial-focused culture as a part-time educator at the San Antonio store, I went on to a career and a job where I felt unhappy and stuck. To maintain balance in my life, I surrounded myself with healthy, inspiring, like-minded people who all seemed to have two desires in common: to make a difference in the world; and to live a happy life.

My goal became to create my life around those two intentions. The inspiration to achieve those goals took many forms:

• an inspiring and empowering yoga teacher training at a local studio
• my friend, Jenny, having the strength to change career and find happiness
• the passion for life and love of lululemon Key Leader, Emily Jacobs
• support from friends and family
• my yoga practice

The journey towards my goal led to me leaving a well-paying, status quo job for a risky, less-mainstream one. The result? I am financially stable. I love the work I do. I am inspired by the people I work with on a daily basis. I am simply a happy human being. I am also fortunate enough to have the opportunity to inspire others around me as a friend, yoga teacher and lululemon educator. The flow of inspiration starts with just one brave act.

top 10 ways to inspire others in your community

• share ideas generously with anyone who will listen; without fear
• follow your passion
• face the unknown with curiosity and excitement
• drop your labels and open yourself up to constant change and growth (labeling yourself limits your potential)
• allow others to share in your greatness and allow others to (gasp!) copy you; without judgment.
• don’t base your wants on society’s wants, or the status quo
• let others’ ideas be different from yours, and let that difference inspire you
• forget your ego and take responsibility for your circumstances
• set goals and accomplish them
• enlist the help and support of others

Inspiration can be a lot like the butterfly effect; a tiny action from you can set off a chain reaction. Hopefully all our little butterflies are sending out positive ripples through the universe.

want more?

• Share your goals to actively seek and give inspiration.
• Find an inspirational ambassador in your area.

26 miles of pavement pounding can be a daunting prospect, so when our friends set their minds to completing Vancouver's recent BMO marathon we were determined to support them. "When someone's cheering you on and telling you, 'you can do it,' it shuts up the little voice inside your head that's telling you otherwise," says Matt Corker. As runners approached our cheer squad it was great to see heads come up and smiles come out.

Matt Corker - Leader Development AdvisorCaroline Nybo - Store Manager, West 4th

Deanne Schweitzer - VP of Brand

Congrats to all of you who completed the marathon (and the half-marathon). We're already starting to think about NYC and the fall races (though we're planning to enjoy summer too). Time to hone our sign-writing skills.

want more

• Get race ready, your two week countdown.
• Run that marathon. It's as easy as ABC.
• See more signs of inspiration.

Rochelle and her coworkers at a lunchtime yoga class.

When my friend Mary asked me if I was interested in signing up for a 40-day yoga challenge, I hesitated for only one minute before saying “absolutely”. I had already put it out there to the world, posted for all to see on the goal wall at work, that I would commit to doing yoga two times a week. And since I hadn’t yet met my goal, or even started it, I figured Mary’s invitation was simply the universe conspiring to help me achieve my goal. I knew I needed to do this.

tip 1: do it with friends

Inviting others keeps you accountable, so I invited my team, People Potential, to take on the challenge too. What better way to achieve my goal than with awesome people striving for the same thing? Some of us are doing the full 40-day challenge, some are committed to doing yoga every day for a month, and some are simply sweating once a day. The challenges may be in different forms, but the objective is the same: to step out of our comfort zones and do something different.

tip 2: track your progress in public

We have a chart on the wall where we’re tracking our progress -- a happy face sticker for every time we practice yoga or sweat. How inspiring to see my coworkers grab their yoga mats from under their desks to head off to a noon yoga class, or to receive the morning emails from our remote team members letting me know they hit their goals the day before and to request a new sticker next to their name.

tip 3: the best gift to yourself

For me, I’m now back in love with yoga. Making the time for myself to connect my body, my mind, and my heart has been the best gift I could give myself. Here’s to more happy faces, more sweating, and many more downward dogs!

Have you ever participated in a yoga challenge? What did you learn?

It wasn't until I started working at lululemon that I really tried yoga. I come from a dance background, and for me, the transition to yoga has been a challenge. In my mind, yoga was slow and boring, with music that could put me to sleep. But the more I put 100% of my mental and physical energy into movement, the more I began to love yoga -- especially the way I feel after.

Greg signing in at the Yoga Lounge

So when I decided that I wanted my boyfriend Greg to feel this good, I knew I had to be there for his first time. We picked a Vinyasa class that started just in time for him to get home from work, and me from school.

the verdict

Greg's take on his first yoga class: "I had this notion, which I realize now was naive, that yoga was all serenity and relaxation -- a cross between getting a massage and stretching. But no. It's hard work. I never felt like a failure, though. And I think that might be one of the benefits of yoga—it’s non-judgemental. This isn’t a competitive aerobics class -- though I’ve never taken an aerobics class either, so that might be an unfair characterization."

First class verdict: thumbs up!

tips for yoga first timers

1. Dress comfortably. Avoid heavy cottons and keep your clothing light and fitted.
2. Bring a water bottle, a towel and some warm layers to put on after your class.
3. Don't be scared. Everyone has a first time.
4. If you're feeling tired or a little light headed, take a moment and lie down.
5. Fully invest in the experience. Go to class and leave your outside worries and stresses at the door.
6. Drink lots of water before, during and especially after to replenish yourself. Your body will love you for it.
7. Don't base your opinion on your first class. Or second. Or even third. It may take time to love yoga.
8. Have fun!

One class in and looking like a pro

Remember: there are always new people. There will always be older people, younger people, bigger people, smaller people, people that can't touch their toes, and people that bend in half like a Gumby doll. I think that's what makes yoga so beautiful to me. It really is for everyone.

Are you interested in trying yoga? Visit your local lululemon for info on their weekly complimentary classes.

Here we are, at the end of 30 days of rediscovery, reinvention and realization. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate then to take the trip out to Squamish to hike one of the most beautiful views in British Columbia: the Chief.

Before hiking the Chief with your alleged 'friends' make sure you know the following:

1. The Chief is the equivalent to hell on earth for someone who is mildly out of shape.
2. There is no tram on the way down.
3. The chipmunks who live on the top of the first peak will rip out your eyeball if you have anything that resembles food.
4. It's hard. There are rocks, ladders and other weird inclines that make you want to barf.
5. Did I mention there is no TRAM ON THE WAY DOWN.

All joking aside (yes, I'm going to pretend those were jokes), when I got to the top it was time to reflect on 30 days of living the lululemon manifesto.

This month has been filled with many hard conversations with myself and other people. It also involved reaching for and failing at some pretty big goals and opening myself up to new opportunities. More importantly it required taking a hard (real) look at how I had been living my (mediocre) life.

The outcome: learning to put more value in what I put out into the world. I learned to stop watching so much TV, living on my cellphone, and reading so many newspapers and magazines so I could experience the overall impact of living in the present moment. I rediscovered what it means to be a maven, a connector and a leader and how much power is contained in those three roles.

My biggest lesson was not holding on to stories (i.e. the meanings I give what people say and do). I learned to be honest with people by speaking from a place of love. I have learned to remember that those feelings of doubt and inadequacy will pass and how important it is to go through them so that I can appreciate the time I get to live in my sweet spot.

My good friend Jacqueline wrote something really epic on my Facebook page the other day:

Everything happens... period.
Everything happens.
And then you deal with it. And sometimes you give it a reason.

In closing, I adopted the phrase: Live Big, Dream Even Bigger. This quest to my best life will never stop. I am committed to your happiness and success in life just as much as I am committed to my own. Let's continue this journey together, one day at a time.

Hello, world! Are you ready for 17 days of once-in-a-lifetime experiences?

For the month of February, our five lululemon blog artists will be experiencing Vancouver and documenting their adventures as the madness unfolds. They'll be yoga-ing, participating in daily challenges, and fill-in-the-blanking. It's impossible to predict exactly what's going to go down this month, but if there's a CGSE blogger nearby you can be assured it'll be twitpic'ed, recorded for our Vimeo channel, and/or written about on the CGSE blog.

Without further ado, meet the blog artists!

Jenna

five facts about jenna

1. I will forever be a kid at heart

2. I <3 impromptu dancing and/or skipping

3. Food is a big force in my life

4. I like to think of myself as a "mixed bag of nuts"

5. Creating is in my soul

Twitter: @jennacgse
Facebook: Jenna Germany
Foursquare: jennacgse

Elim

five facts about elim

1. I have goals in fashion and styling. My dream job: freelance stylist and professional blogger coming to you live from the front rows of the most venerable names in fashion.

2. I have a life long love affair with books. When I was in grade 3, I read 100 books during summer break. Send me your suggestions, I'm always looking for something to read. Literally.

3. The people at lululemon changed my life. This saying "Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them.- W.Clement Stone" is how I would describe where I work and the people I work with. I am extremely fortunate to have co-workers who are now my greatest friends.

4. I love to dance and will find ways to dance even in the most awkward of moments (Ex. in the SSC parking lot in front of the whole office).

5. I have completed the Vancouver Sun Run 3 years in a row now and am aiming for a finish time of 1 HR this year.

Twitter: @elimcgse
Facebook: Elim Canada
Foursquare: elimcgse

Whitney

five facts about whitney

1. I am a vegetarian, but my favorite snacks are cheddar bunnies and animal crackers. Weird I know.

2. Writing is my first passion.

3. I have worn the same color hot pink nail polish on my fingers and toes for 4 years now, even on my wedding day with hot pink shoes to match.

4. I once moved to Italy to play softball in their pro circuit, it changed my life and inspired me to apply at lululemon instead of law school. Ciao bella.

5. I believe that food is both the cause and the cure of all of our ailments, and a glass of lambrusco is the secret of a life.

Twitter: @whitneycgse
Facebook: Whitney Sweden
Foursquare: whitneysweden

Tiffany

five facts about tiffany

1. my favourite colour is black (and yes! it is a colour...)

2. my BHAG is to be the CEO of lululemon athletica by february 9, 2024

3. the best way to sweat, in my opinion, is a super hot yoga class, or sitting in the hot sun!

4. i LOVE cupcakes... and pizza.

5. travelling is my passion - my next stop will be the summit of mount kilimanjaro in the summer of 2011!

Twitter: @tiffanycgse
Facebook: Tiffany Britain
Foursquare: tiffanycgse

Liz

five facts about liz

1. I'm an East coast girl - BIG time. We're talkin' sailing, walks on the beach, yoga classes in a boathouse, Sloan, donairs and all. BUT I'm super excited to be taking it from the best coast to the West coast in February... I mean, it IS going to be the centre of the universe. BUT I've got a few travel goals: I will visit (and blog) every National Park in Canada with my friend Kim by October, 2012. I will participate in the Bali Spirit Festival by May, 2013. I will do a vineyard tour of Cape Town, South Africa by September, 2015...

2. I have a bit of a Cool Racerback "problem" - I'm currently eyeing Bold Blue as the 13th addition to my collection. I mean, they're just SO versatile! Why fight it?

3. I will be a 500-hour certified yoga teacher by July 1st, 2010 - I'll be heading to Byron Bay, Australia in May to complete my training! I'm definitely a yogi, and as the Community Leader at lululemon athletica Halifax, I get to attend at least 4 classes per week. Talk about sweating once a day!

4. I spent 3 months last year volunteering in Madagascar doing forest management and conservation. It's the most incredibly beautiful place with the most wonderful people - I really can't say enough about it, so ASK me! I've got stories for days, and it really helped me to shape my goals for the future.

5. Words that I live by (and the reason why I love my job!): "A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both." - L.P. Jacks

Twitter: @lizcgse
Facebook: Liz Australia
Foursquare: lizcgse

now what?

Fan, friend, and follow our CGSE blog team. And if you spot them out and about in Vancouver this February, be sure to say hello. In fact, if you see them and mention the special passphrase "weinerdog", they just may hand you a special surprise!

the main cgse blog is at: lululemon.com/cgse
our vimeo channel: vimeo.com/lululemontv
our flickr photos: flickr.com/photos/lululemonathletica/cgse

lululemon athletica Ala Moana's Studio of the Month featured the pole-dancing studio Fit for a Goddess.

Recently lululemon Ala Moana featured a pole-dancing studio called Fit for a Goddess as our store's studio of the month. We had in-store pole dancing demonstrations and a complimentary introductory class just for ladies. Seeing these athletic women fly through the air in front of complete strangers inspired me to sign up for a series of pole-dancing classes.

I've always been more of a tomboy: ask any of my friends and they’ll tell you that the extent of my dance repertoire consists of the robot, running man, or any other goofy move you can think of. So walking into a class that focused on femininity was at first a little uncomfortable for me.

Unleashing your inner Goddess with pole dancing.

Our teacher encouraged us to embrace our sexuality, to move our bodies with grace and strength, and to be comfortable with ourselves – no matter what age, shape or size. No judgments on ourselves or each other. At the end of our first class, our teacher told us it was "showcase time". We had to perform the dance number in small groups for the rest of the class. My heart started thumping and my palms started to sweat. We got up, did our thing, and it was over as quickly as it started.

Teachers from Fit for a Goddess did weekly pole-dancing demonstrations at the lululemon athletica Ala Moana store.

After class I laughed to myself -- now THAT was doing one thing a day that scares you. At least for me. While a dance class might not be a big deal for some... we all have different fears, push ourselves in numerous ways, and in the end, our take away lessons vary. But hopefully trying something new fuels our hunger for more – out of ourselves, out of others, and out of life!

Tiffany and her store are ready for the holidays! Come in and share a few laughs with your local lululemon.

This holiday season will be my sixth working for lululemon athletica. How time flies.

Like most people, the holidays are a particularly special time of year for me, and I want to tell you why.

Working at a lululemon store over the holidays has lots of special perks - amazing product, complimentary yoga, Starbucks runs, and lots and lots of love and laughter. But more than that, working at a lululemon store over the holidays is being a part of special holiday moments.

It's the guests like you, reading this post, that make my holidays what they are. I get to hear about your families, your friends, your achievements, your stories – each and every day I walk into work.

I get to hear grandparents speaking proudly about their grandchildren; I get to see long wish lists filled with Groove Pants and Remix Lulu Hoodies; I get to experience the fun of picking out the perfect outfit for the perfect boyfriend.

When you shop in our stores this holiday season, or call our Guest Education Centre, make sure you share your stories with the educators that help you. Talk about your family, your friends, your achievements and goals.

This is what makes us love our jobs, and why I truly love the ho-lu-days.

Why do you love the ho-lu-days?

Meet Shannon, our amazing St. Louis Showroom Manager!

What is your role at lululemon?

Community Creator (a.k.a St. Louis Showroom Manager)

What is the difference between a showroom and a store?

A showroom is a "cozier" version of a lululemon store; small and intimate, and more boutique-like... it’s like stopping by a friend's home to catch up and see what’s new. We operate just like a retail store in terms of offering tons of great product, but we spend as much time out in the community as we do in the showroom, so our hours are a little funny as we are not open every day and may close early for private events and trunk shows. We do our own painting and arranging. Some may call it "kitschy", but I prefer "homey", perhaps even "endearing". The showroom atmosphere engenders such a personal guest experience that ultimately creates authentic relationships. It's so amazing!

How did you come to lululemon?

I received my first pair of Groove pantsa few years ago and fell in love with the product. After completing my Masters in Spanish Literature and realizing the academic route was not for me, I began researching companies and met MK Letchworth who came to St. Louis to open the showroom here – her energy was INCREDIBLE and her enthusiasm for lululemon, contagious. It was an instant connection; we had so much in common! I applied online for positions in New York, was contacted by lululemon and ended up finding the best fit and opportunity right here in St. Louis with the fabulous MK (now lululemon masonville assistant manager!).

Tell us about your community:

St. Louis is friendly, loyal and authentic. It is a cosmopolitan city with world-class restaurants, museums, sports teams - but all coupled with a quaint, small-town feel. In terms of health and fitness, this is a running and fitness community where yoga is really taking off!

Inside the St. Louis Showroom!

What is a typical Wednesday like for you?

No typical day really – but in general I rise early, take a cardio class or go for a run, eat breakfast, participate in a conference call, grab a coffee and head to the showroom where I hang out with friends and make new ones talking about the latest and greatest lululemon gear, fave yoga class, new restaurants, goal setting, etc., and receive new product! After work I will drop in on a yoga class (or as of November in St. Louis, run with the lululemon run club!) make dinner and spend time with family and friends.

How do you usually sweat once a day?

I love to run, spin, practice yoga and take crazy cardio classes with some of the amazing instructors we have in St. Louis.

Why do you have the best job in the world?

Because I enable people to live longer, healthier and more fun lives by being a hub of health and fitness knowledge in my community. We offer complimentary yoga and fitness classes and educate the community on super high performance gear for however they choose to sweat!

No two days are ever the same. I wear stretchy pants to work and get paid to work out and have authentic conversations with people about health, fitness and living a GREAT life. My company is constantly challenging me to create a life of possibility and never settle for mediocrity, providing me with the developmental tools and support to make that happen! And, seriously, our manifesto includes such words of wisdom like "Dance, sing, floss and travel"and has monthly challenges that include dancing the running man once a day!

What piece of advice do you have for future showroom managers?

Be yourself and have fun. Sounds simple, but you are hired into this incredible company because you are incredible, so just keep doing that thing you do. And, well, if you are not having fun every single day, then you are doing something wrong. Get out there and connect in your community - love, laugh, sweat and breath deeply every day! Honestly, just read the manifesto, it’s all there!

What makes your showroom unique?

Simple - our community makes us unique: from the educators to the guests, to the ambassadors and R&D team, to our fantastic Central West End neighborhood. There is no showroom like it!

What's your Big Hairy Audacious Goal!?

My BHAG is to bring lululemon into Spanish speaking countries, uniting my passion for the Spanish language and culture and sheer enthusiasm and desire to continue to spread the lululemon love… en español!

See the amazing opportunities at lululemon with the new showrooms opening up!

I am grateful to have been part of this event, which began at the Northbrook Court mall about 10 miles north of Chicago. Our Northbrook store’s ambassador, Marcy Caron, kicked off the 3-day with a morning stretch for 2,200 walkers at the opening ceremony.

In being there to see the opening ceremony, I was able to get a small taste of what the walkers would go through over the next 3 days. They trained for this event and looked forward to it for so long, and throughout the weekend they cheered, laughed, cried, shared, and celebrated together.

Beth, Liz, Marcy, Kristin, Suzanne, and Billie supporting the participants of the 3-Day Chicago at Northbrook Court.

Once the walk began, I went to a spin class at the Pilates Barre in Winnetka with the rest of the Northbrook lululemon team. To our surprise, when we were eating at Panera after class, the 3-day walkers were moving through Winnetka! In the brief moments I spoke with the walkers and encouraged them on their journey, I was touched by their stories, their memories, and their unforgettable t-shirts and memorabilia. It was so incredible to be a witness to their courage, commitment, love, and optimism.

Here is my Top 12 Twitter list (in no particular order):

1. @UnitedPlanet – this is the non-profit organization that organized my volunteer trip to Cambodia this past July, so I like to get updates on what’s going on and where other people are traveling to.

2. @MatadorNetwork – one of my favorite online magazines, they cover all things travel and post tons of new articles everyday.

3. @BarackObama – the easiest way to stay in the know about current politics from our President himself.

4.TheCoffeeBean – I actually prefer The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf over Starbucks (I’m a tea drinker) and their Twitter has updates about promotions, events, and new drinks!

5. @JeffGalloway – my favorite running coach! He is the inventor of the Run/Walk Method, an Olympian, and was one of my running buddies for the Greece marathon! He tweets about where his next race is, when his new books come out, and general running tips.

6. @lululemonirvine – a quick way to get updates about events and new products from my favorite store!

7. @lululemon – anything and everything lululemon - new store openings, product, events, feedback, and more!

8. @runnersworld - if you are looking for motivation to run, look no further! Runner's World shares links to videos, race information, updates about race results around the world, etc.

9. @anusarafriend – John Friend, the founder of Anusara yoga, shares mostly inspirational tweets and updates about where he is and workshops he is participating in.

10. @lancearmstrong – find out what Lance is doing with his friends, his family, and the LiveStrong Foundation

11. @teamintraining – the fundraising arm of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, they train you to run a marathon/complete a triathlon in exchange for fundraising. Their Twitter has training tips, fundraising tips, and events that are going on to benefit TNT.

12. @Yoga_Journal – find links to inspirational quotes and articles from yogis and yoginis in one place!

Who do you follow?

Above are Tiffany's housemates, Fay, Emma, Kelsey, and Sarah, who are giving thanks to each other in little ways.

To most university students, Thanksgiving brings the excitement of going home, spending time with old friends, and eating plenty of real, home-cooked meals.

I have four housemates – Emma, Fay, Kelsey and Sarah – and we live in a little house right near the Queen’s University campus. Similar to most university students, we’re all very excited to go home to see our families and, of course, eat home-cooked meals.

This past Saturday, we received a Facebook message from Emma, which I wanted to share with all of you:

so i’ve decided that we are going to celebrate thanksgiving.

for thanksgiving we all go home and appreciate food and that is definitely great. but i think our celebration (although it will involve food) should also involve thanking each other. so what i will do this week is go around and give everyone little cuecards, and on those cuecards we will have to thank each other for something (coolness, being a person who listens, sharing food, etc.) then i will compile them and we will have a dinner celebration (date and time to be decided) and hand them out.

Although the message was simple, it got right down to the point of Thanksgiving – giving thanks to those who you are grateful for. These four girls are my best friends in the world – but sometimes its easy to forget how much I truly appreciate them – even if its just for their coolness!

I challenge each and every one of you reading this blog to do something similar – take a moment and really give thanks to the people around you. Let them know how much you appreciate their love, time and special characteristics.

We had our Thanksgiving feast on Monday night – and despite the fact it certainly wasn’t a homecooked meal – it might have been the best Thanksgiving dinner I’ve ever had!

These days it seems we all need a break. We all need a laugh, we all need a break from our lives, and we all need to remember what it is like to be a kid. The past two weekends I was able to escape with my friends and family into a worry free and exceptionally crazy and fun world by means of the 56th annual Over the Line World Championships played on Fiesta Island in San Diego, California.

For those of you that have heard of this legendary tournament, or have even been lucky enough to attend, you know how much ridiculous fun I am talking about. If you haven’t, book your flights for next July to San Diego, it is definitely a spectacle everyone should see and even better participate in at least once in their life. Nearly 1,200 teams composed of men’s and women’s teams ranging from age 21-75 compete every year in this double elimination tournament, and most do not survive past the first day of competition.

The tournament itself attracts a lot of beer, a lot of sun, and the occasional topless woman, but nonetheless serves as a reminder to chill out, play a game, and that life should not be taken too seriously. The game of OTL is played on the beach and can almost be thought of as a combination of baseball, golf and cricket. It is an extremely refined and athletic practice that truly takes years to master. There are 3 players to a team, and the simple object of the game is to hit the ball so that it drops in the sand over the line away from the 3 fielders trying to catch it, which is about 55 feet away from the hitter. If the ball does not travel past the line, it’s an out. The field itself is about 55 feet wide, and as far as you can hit it. Three hits is a run, and any ball that goes past the very last fielder without being touched is a homerun. Seemingly simple, but extremely difficult once you make it past team Hooters or Little Darling’s Showgirls and start playing with the top 10 teams in the world. Literally some people travel all year long to play this game, and I envy them just a little bit.

My team, the “Blonde Beezies” (an amazingly mild OTL team name) has played together for close to 5 years and have set the goal of winning the entire tournament by 2011. Our team collectively has 2 NCAA softball titles, 3 seasons of professional softball, and has only finished in the top 5 of OTL a humbling and sobering one time. We can definitely cover more beach defensively than any team out there, but have been wickedly schooled in the art of OTL hitting. Next year we have vowed to actually practice before the tournament and attempt to refine our hitting.

Despite our shortcomings every year, it is nonetheless my favorite two weekends of the entire summer. My husband and I literally postponed our real honeymoon to play this year. The “Blonde Beezies” placed in the top 10 this year, and most definitely won best dressed thanks to our Electric Orange slipless headbands, Cool Racerbacks, and Coal speed shorts. We were feeling smokin’ haute and were definitely baffling the competition with our outfits alone. The moisture wicking, and coolness of our outfits were absolutely essential on the extremely hot sand, and proved to be much more functional than the bikinis that seems to give other teams sand wedgies and full exposure when diving plays would occur.

Once again disappointed in our finish, the “Blonde Beezies” will nonetheless continue to charge the sands of OTL for years to come and will eventually win this thing. Yet win or lose, we always enjoy the weekend of sun, friends, playtime, beer, occasional Jell-O shots, male followers that heckle our opponents, and truly remembering to take a break from reality and simply enjoy life. Whether you go to this phenomenal tournament to party or compete, everyone at OTL has one thing in common, a smile on their face, most likely a beer in their hand and a cell phone covered in sand and ignoring the outside world. I can’t wait to get back to the sandbox and OTL playground again next year! Maybe the amazingly talented lululemon designers will release a special OTL outfit. A girl can dream right?

The Wheel of Life is a really neat exercise I came across in a workshop on boosting energy. It gets you to break up the various areas of your life and then rate them, so you can see your overall satisfaction for each section. The portions that you rate highly bring you joy and the lower rated ones bring stress and drain your energy.

Here is a Wheel of Life from Startup Princess you can use. Fill out each section as you desire, then draw a line across the portion of pie. You will notice the variation of levels and how they don't always line up entirely. I found the best labels for each section were:

• Career

• Physical environment (e.g. your home)

• Money / finances

• Health (this includes mental, physical, diet, exercise etc.)

• Friends and family

• Romance / significant other

• Personal growth / development (learning, study, training etc)

• Fun (recreation, things you love doing!)

At the time I was first doing this exercise, I lived in a small shoebox of an apartment with three other girls and I rated my "environment" as fairly low, like a 3. That was pretty easy to see, but what I didn’t really take note of, was that the apartment was where I spent a lot of my time. The lack of personal space brought stress into my life. As soon as this clicked, I did something about it. Now live in a gorgeous open apartment with an amazing view of Whistler Mountain. Gosh, does this give me a good place to come home to now!

I realized that it's great to have those few areas on your wheel at their peak, but you really need to stop ignoring those areas of your life that you aren’t so thrilled about. They aren't going anywhere. And they are just going to keep draining you till you look them in the eye and straighten them out.